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| Runaway by Lindelea | 78 Review(s) |
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| FantasyFan | Reviewed Chapter: 10 on 10/6/2003 |
| Both of the notes are being written at the same time. Hopefully, they arrived at the Smials in the same post. Either way, Tolly is going to have a very tough time of it before Regi. If he has not heard from Ferdi yet, he's going to have to admit that the boy is gone, and that they kept it quiet. Regi will not be able to put away his fears of foul play so easily, so the fat will be in the fire and they will begin the search. Pippin is expecting Farry to arrive in Buckland before dinner, but what will come instead is a note and Pip will want to start the search from his end immediately. If Merry manages to delay him until morning, they will be frustrated by the storm. (Side note: it was good to see Merry again. Pippin relaxes in his presence, and Merry's sharpness is a nice contrast. They are good together, and I don't think he'd really tell Diamond if Pippin didn't eat.) Now, if Tolly has gotten the note from Ferdi, he will at least be able to offer some reassurance to Regi, but the secret will be out nonetheless. Regi is going to have to tell Pippin something, for he doesn't have Farry to send. He has no compunction about keeping the secret from Diamond, but he will find it much harder to out-and-out lie to the Thain. No matter what he says, Pippin's sure to be suspicious. Add to that, the writing on the wall is clear that Farry is going to take his chance and bolt - the gentle lesson is sinking in, but it hasn't had enough time to bend a stubborn Took. Ferdi will have to go after him, able or no. The last time he followed Farry into danger to save him from his own self-centered stupidity, Ferdi nearly died. No matter what happens, there are sure to be a lot of very wet hobbits in the next chapters, thrown into the uncertain peril of a late storm. Tension is building very well. Also, here we see Pippin's anxiety about kidnapping that you spoke about, through the eyes of Regi. His stash of Thain's Gold worries him, and we haven't even gotten to the events of 'Rope' where the Ruffians do try to steal it, or to 'Merlin' where kidnapping becomes a reality for the Gamgees. It's one of the first things he's going to think of, when he does hear that Farry is missing. Farry's going to put more than a few grey hairs on Pippin's head this time, but I'm still hoping for a better understanding for the two of them to come from this. Pippin seems more like an indulgent uncle than a father to his son, at least in his conversation with Merry. Somehow they're going to have to get past superficial layers into deeper communication. (Now to go read the next chapter that you posted while I was writing this. I was good and didn't peek ahead.) | |
| Miriel | Reviewed Chapter: 10 on 10/4/2003 |
| Thank you for your sympathies. :) Oh no! Something like this was bound to happen though...Oh dear. I can't help but wonder what will happen when the Smials and Buckland figure out what is going on...either way, it will probably make Ferdi feel worse then his headache right now... I liked Merry promting Pip to eat. I'd love to see Estella set on him...that would be amusing, to say the least. Well, i'm looking forward to reading of their andveutre in Gondor! Back to homework! Cheers to you! Author Reply: Ferdi ought to have expected Pip to do the unexpected; but then, his head wasn't working right, the past few days. Poor Pip, just the *threat* of Estella being set on him is enough to make him clear his plate... | |
| Miriel | Reviewed Chapter: 9 on 10/2/2003 |
| Sorry that it took so long for me to review. I've been up to my ears in spanish homework... I cringe reading about Ferdi's ailment. Don't you just hate the weather sometimes? It must be getting hard for Farry, being around such cheerful people and not being able to talk. Oh no! Is he making plans to go to Gondor afterall? (When you said that "such a story was in the works," was that from my comment? Just curious.:) I believe that he is still worried that Ferdi's going to take him back to the Thain. That is pretty selfish of Farry, caring more about himself then poor Ferdi. Ah, well. He is young; he will learn. Author Reply: Poor thing! Welcome back! I have a weather ache myself, in the hand I broke decades ago. As to Farry, yes, I'd imagine he's just itching to top one of Buckthorn's stories, or brag on something, but instead he has to listen, which can be very educational and character-building. The trip to Gondor... I'm not sure where that story originated. Your comment might have been one of the sparks, but I have the feeling that the kindling was already laid. I remember having a long conversation with Dana about how much fun it would be for Ferdi to escort Farry to Gondor, an official visit... but this would have to take place *after* "At the End of His Rope" since Ferdi had never been as far as the Brandywine before that story. I have noticed that children can be quite selfish, isn't that astonishing? | |
| FantasyFan | Reviewed Chapter: 9 on 9/30/2003 |
| So Farry still wants to run to Gondor. I was hoping he'd be a little more content by experiencing life with the Bolgers, but a problem long in the making is not so easily solved. He doesn't seem to consider the approaching storm as he makes his plans to bolt. I hope he doesn't get caught in a real blow, and force Ferdi to try tracking him with a splitting head. I'm not quite sure what to make of the dream imagry. Clearly Ferdi fears Farry slipping away. Is the water image a residual from Farry and Ferdi's previous close call in the River? Does it come up because water is an element Farry is comfortable with, but Ferdi is barely competent to handle? Is Ferdi worried that Farry is becoming transformed into an unmanagable creature? Is he afraid he will end up running with Farry, escaping wrath in Gondor? I need a lot of help with symbolic stuff like this - you probably intended something quite obvious that I'm not getting. Well, I'll be eager for the tempest to break in the next chapter. Author Reply: I'm afraid Farry is a realist. He knows if he doesn't make his escape soon, he'll be carried back to the Smials again. Staying with the Bolgers is not an option for the son of the Thain. He is too young to be weatherwise, and has probably never been out in a major storm, so the storm would not be a consideration in his planning, or if it were, he'd simply consider it an advantage, making it harder for someone to track him. As to the dream imagery? All of the above, probably. Ferdi might be in over his head this time. He doesn't have the clear head he needs to pull this off, and the situation is about to spin out of control (as you'll see in the current chapter). | |
| FantasyFan | Reviewed Chapter: 8 on 9/29/2003 |
| All the speaking in the world wouldn't get Farry to agree that his cousins are nasty, meanspirited boors: but in his silence and simply by the example of the Bolgers, Farry's plenty smart enough to figure it out for himself. It's probably a good thing that Ferdi is absent for the day. Farry can relax a bit, and just be. You can almost see the tension and unhappiness slide from him, just as you can see it coiling back into place at the end of the chapter. The Bolger's way of life is certainly attractive to Faramir, and probably even more so to we who live by the clock instead of the seasons, and waste our time in posturing and aggravation more than any Took. Have you ever wanted to chuck it all and join a cloistered community just to simplify and reconncect with what's important? I know I have! Looking forward to tomorrow. Author Reply: Simplicity is a large part of my fascination with hobbits, I think, though if I'd been a hobbit, I'd've been practically blind, and probably would ahve died in childbirth as well, considering their level of technology. I am grateful for our medical science, with all its warts. I think Ferdi's on the right track, in trying to open Faramir's eyes to the difference between his spoiled cousins and "regular" hobbits. Actions are doing what all the words in the world couldn't do, for Pippin would not hear him when he tried to tell the Thain about his son. Let's hope he has enough time to complete his little lesson for Faramir. Thanks for the faithful reviews on this and other stories! | |
| Hai | Reviewed Chapter: 7 on 9/27/2003 |
| Faramir doesn't have enough work at the Smials it seems ;) Maybe he needs something of his ows to take care of......Wonderful, as usual! I would be very difficult for Faramir not to talk to the other lads! Looking forward to mroe, thank you! | |
| Miriel | Reviewed Chapter: 7 on 9/26/2003 |
| It seems as if FArry's taking to farm life very easily. Of course, the Bolgers do make it easier, being so cheerful. Poor Ferdi...he always seems to have something wrong with him...*Sigh*. Nice chapter. Author Reply: Yes, the Bolgers represent all that's best about hobbits, I hope. You're right, poor Ferdi. He has the luck of the Tooks, I'm afraid. | |
| FnatasyFan | Reviewed Chapter: 7 on 9/26/2003 |
| What is the matter with Ferdi's head? I don't remember him having headaches or dizzy spells before, though Rosemary does. It won't be a good thing if he's laid up in the midst of this mess with Farry, as the timing of his scheme is likely to be dicey enough. It's very good for Faramir to see that not everyone lives as he does in the Great Smials. At ten years old, most kids have a very ego-centric world view. It's all about them, and with their limited experience, they can hardly imagine anything is possible outside of the way it's always been. Servants are something Farry takes for granted. He also takes his parent's preoccupied attitude and emphasis on appearance for granted. This experience will most likely open Farry's eyes to his blessings. It also has the possiblity of creating more resentment as he also recognizes some of the disadvantages of his priviledged place. What will his reaction be to the attention and open expression of love in the Bolger family? By the way, we know Ferdi isn't fooling Hally and Rosemary, but the kids are going to put two and two together as well, even if Farry doesn't talk. Only a gentlehobbit's son wouldn't know how to milk a cow, or lay a fire, and they have met Farry before. Still don't know how you're going to get Ferdi out of this one. Has he considered sending a note to the Smials, to at least let them know he and Farry are alive? My views on young Frodo don't come from any particular story, just my own thoughts on what he must have been like, projecting a bookish orphan who tended to be a dreamer back into childhood. His adoption by Bilbo could have been precipitated by many things, the most likely among them would be genuine affection between the cousins, but also there could have been the suggestion that he required a little more attention than he was getting in Buckland. The impression I got from reading LOTR was that he was viewed as a 'young scamp' but with affection rather than serious worry - the only incident specifically mentioned in canon is the beating he got for raiding Farmer Maggot's mushroom fields. When thinking of the formation of Frodo's character I am always struck by the fact that he remained so close to Merry, who was only 7 when he left Buckland at age 21. Pippin wasn't even born then, so I would expect his inclusion among Frodo's close friends to imply that Merry dragged him along whenever he visited Frodo (or possibly that Pip was always with Merry when Frodo came to them), and that the visits were frequent. Something had to inspire the fierce emotions expressed in "the conspiracy unmasked," where Merry admits to being terrified (the acutal word Tolkien uses) that Frodo would escape without them, and Frodo is happier than he can imagine that despite the peril, his friends will be with him. Author Reply: What is the matter with Ferdi's head? You may recall in "Flames" he had two serious head injuries, one from a ruffian's club, and the other in the pony race near the end of the story. It mainly bothers him when the barometric pressure is low. (I got this from the experience of a brother who had a serious head injury at age three. He stuttered as a child, grew out of it, but when the barometer plunged, or when at high altitude, he started stuttering again, was short-tempered, and suffered head pain.) It didn't come up in FirstBorn, not really being a plot point there, but is important to the plot in this story and the one following it on the timeline ("Solid Ground"--in the works at the moment, and due to begin posting after the last chapter of "Truth" goes up). Thank you for the insightful analysis of Frodo's character formation (as well as your always-though-provoking comments on the current chapter). You have a real gift for mining nuggets of meaning from reams of material. Author Reply: Ooops, I meant the head pain is important in this story and in the one following "Truth" on the timeline. Sorry about that. | |
| FantasyFan | Reviewed Chapter: 6 on 9/24/2003 |
| I love this chapter! Not a word of dialog spoken, and you can hear the quiet of the night (once Hally stops snoring) as each person lies awake, thinking their own thoughts, unaware that everyone else has their mind on the same topic. Ferdi and Farry are bound to their bargain, though neither thinks they have the best end of the deal. Ferdi has Faramir figured out well. He would bolt if he could. It is very kind of Ferdibrand to want to save Faramir. He doesn't have to, you know. Tooks and Trouble have been together for a long time, and Ferdi could leave Pippin's family to sink or swim on their own. You know who Farry reminds me of here? Lonely and smart, with too much time to think. Sometimes he seems older than his age, but he's not old enough to have developed good judgement yet. A restless core, and stubborn as they come. He reminds me of Frodo, as he might have been as a youngster in Buckland. Frodo got into his share of trouble too (at a slightly oder age), although not quite as serious as the trouble Farry has managed to find. So, there's hope for Faramir yet. Frodo, Merry and Pippin kept each other grounded. Faramir needs some of that hobbit love to come through this. Author Reply: That was an insightful recap of the chapter. Your comments on young Frodo were interesting. I have read very little “young Frodo” fanfic—are you referring to a specific story or stories? I’d be interested to read them. Good thing for Farry that Ferdi is also a stubborn Took! | |
| Miriel | Reviewed Chapter: 6 on 9/24/2003 |
| I knew that Rosemary couldn't be fooled for long. She's Ferdi's sister, after all, even if she is married to a Bolger. :) Farry's getting tired of the place already? To many chores for one of his class? I hope that Ferdi teaches him a good lesson. (I can't believe that he didn't learn after "Firstborn." Then again, he is a stubborn Took.) For Ferdi's sake, I hope that he doesn't have to go to Gondor! *Goes off and laughs at the mental imagry.* Cheers! Author Reply: Yes, Farry is a stubborn Took, and I'm sure he reformed for a short span after FirstBorn, but he was still in the same place with the same friends, and less parental attention than before as Diamond and Pippin buried themselves in their own grief, so it is not surprising that he went back to the comfort of his spoiled cousins. Ferdi taking Farry to Gondor... would you believe such a story is in the works? *g* | |